The present invention relates generally to dispensing containers and, more specifically, to dispensing cap constructions enabling accurately measured amounts of the container contents (in granular, particulate or powdered form) to be dispensed from the cap.
Dispensing containers are, of course, well known and are used in many different industries for many different purposes. One such use is in the food industry, and a specific example includes jars and other similar containers which contain solid foods (such as spices) in particulate, granular or powder-like form. Typically, a measuring spoon or separate measuring cup is utilized in conjunction with the jar or container when accurate amounts are to be obtained.
The present invention eliminates the need for measuring spoons or cups by providing a hollow cap, which serves as its own measuring device, for use with an otherwise conventional container. While the incorporation of a measuring function into a container/cap construction for the discharge of desired amounts of the container contents is not new (see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,802,284; 2,804,103; 3,860,111; 4,613,057 and 4,635,828), the present invention provides improved and simplified structures for accomplishing this result, while generally retaining the desirable option of substantially unrestricted pouring and/or shaking of the container contents from the dispensing cap.
In addition, the present invention provides a selectively useable sifter within the measuring cap construction which enables the user to sift the container contents in either the unmeasured or measured dispensing modes.
In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a transparent plastic cap is provided which includes a top and a depending skirt. The skirt incorporates an inverted dome-like weir panel provided with a weir aperture lying on one side of a center line extending through the cap. The weir panel, in combination with the skirt wall and the cap top wall, form a measuring chamber into which a desired amount of container contents may be poured via the weir aperture. In this exemplary embodiment, the cap top wall forms a fully openable dispensing door integrally hinged at the juncture of the cap skirt and cap top wall. The free edge of the cap, which is diametrically opposed to the integral hinge, lies on the opposite side of the cap center line from the weir aperture. The cap top wall (and optionally a portion of the depending skirt) is provided with volume gradations in the form of level lines and suitable alpha and/or numeric characters, enabling the user to precisely transfer measured amounts of contents from the container into the cap measuring chamber.
A sifting disk, having a curvature complementary to that of the weir panel, is snap-fit into (or otherwise suitably attached to) the dispensing cap in underlying engagement with the weir panel, for rotation relative thereto. This sifter disk is formed with a generally chord-shaped cut-out substantially of the same shape as the weir aperture in the weir panel, and rotatable into alignment with the weir aperture. At the same time, adjacent the cut-out, a series of sifter apertures are provided. In addition, a vertical tab is provided on the sifter disk which extends upwardly through the weir aperture in the weir panel. This permits the user to rotate the sifter disk to either of two positions: (1) a first position wherein the sifter disk cut-out underlies the weir aperture so that, with the dispensing door closed, the user can transfer measured amounts of container contents into the measuring chamber. With the dispensing door open, the user can simply free flow unrestricted amounts of container contents through the cap; and (2) a second position where the sifter apertures are superposed under the weir aperture enabling the user to dispense container contents through the sifter apertures, using a typical back and forth shaking motion. Here again, the dispensing door may be open or closed. If open, the user can sift unrestricted amounts of container contents through the cap and, if closed, the user can sift measured amounts into the measuring chamber. In order to enable the free discharge of sifted or unsifted material from the cap, the dispensing door formed by the top wall of the cap may be fully opened and releasably held against the exterior of the depending skirt portion by means of a locking tab and cooperating locking groove channel arrangement.
In the preferred arrangement, the dispensing cap is formed as a two-piece construction, i.e., the depending skirt and the top wall/dispensing door are formed as a single piece along with the weir panel; and the sifter disk is separately formed and insertable within the dispensing cap in the manner described above. In an alternative arrangement, the dispensing door could be formed separately and simply snap-fit onto the top of the cap, or hinged by a pin or other suitable means. In the preferred arrangement, the dispensing door and cap are integrally formed, and both components of this two-piece dispenser cap construction are made of transparent plastic material to facilitate accurate transfer the container contents from the container into the dispensing chamber. On the other hand, the sifter disk in this arrangement may be constructed of an opaque plastic material to create a contrast with the remainder of the dispensing cap. For that embodiment where the dispensing door/top wall is formed separately, the depending skirt portion, weir panel and sifting disk may be formed of opaque plastic material and the separately formed top wall/dispensing door formed of a transparent plastic material.
Thus, in its broader aspects, the present invention relates to a measuring/dispensing cap adapted for attachment to an open upper end of a container, the cap comprising first means for enabling an accurately determined amount of container contents to be dispensed from the cap in a first operating mode; second means for enabling substantially unrestricted pouring of container contents through the cap in a second operating mode; and third means for enabling sifting of container contents in either of the first or second modes.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.